2018 NFL Draft: 7-Round Mock Draft

2018 NFL Draft Order: Round 1

1. Cleveland Browns – Sam Darnold – QB – USC

The Cleveland Browns finally land a future franchise quarterback. With Tyrod Taylor projected as the starter, Sam Darnold will be able to sit behind Taylor for a year until he’s thrown into the fire. The 20-year-old quarterback may not be the most pro-ready quarterback right now, but his ceiling is sky high, and he has all the tools to be an elite QB in the NFL.

I’m not sure even the Giants’ front office even knows who they will be taking with the #2 overall pick. I think we can narrow it down to three choices: 1) Bradley Chubb, 2) Saquon Barkley, or 3) trade out. One thing is for certain, the Giants have had an awful time running the football in recent years. After adding Nate Solder via free agency and getting Odell Beckham Jr. back from injury, a dominant running back could take the New York Giants back to competing for the NFC East Championship.

After trading away a boatload to move up to the #3 overall pick, there’s no secret what the New York Jets have in mind, drafting a franchise quarterback. Some people may think they’d target Josh Allen here, but the Jets’ front office is very fond of the former Oklahoma QB. Baker Mayfield would likely come in and start day one, and I think he’s right up there with Josh Rosen as the most pro-ready quarterback in this draft.

The Browns, land their franchise quarterback with the #1 overall pick, then land a stud pass rusher in Bradley Chubb to pair with last years #1 overall pick Myles Garrett. With the selection of Chubb, the Browns’ would have one of the best defensive lines in football with Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Emmanuel Ogbah, Caleb Brantley, and Bradley Chubb. Quarterbacks Beware.

The Buffalo Bills already made one trade in this draft and that was moving up with Cincinnati, in this mock I have them moving up again with Denver to grab their future franchise quarterback. Josh Allen is an extremely gifted quarterback with loads of potential. Similar to Sam Darnold, it would be wise for Allen to sit a season before being thrown into the fire, the Bills don’t have that option, so it’s likely that Josh Allen would be the day one starter after being drafted at #5 overall.

With Bradley Chubb and Saquon Barkley both off the board, the Colts are stuck with taking the best linebacker in the draft. Not a bad consolation prize. Smith would be a plug and play linebacker who would make an immediate impact on the young Indianapolis defense. With Matt Eberflus now running the defense in Indy, Roquan Smith would fit in just fine as a great off the ball linebacker with tons of speed and great instincts.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have plenty of holes on their roster, but getting a player of Derwin James caliber to play all around the secondary could kill two birds with one stone. James is a versatile defensive back who can play strong safety, nickel corner, and even free safety if need be. There aren’t many human beings on this planet with Derwin James size, athletic ability, and leadership mentality.

To land the consensus #1 overall player at #8 should be something the Chicago Bears throw a party over. Quenton Nelson is a blue chip player in this draft class and would be an absolute steal at 8th overall. If there’s any team in the NFL that would love Nelson it would be the Bears, seeing as his former OL coach is currently on the Chicago staff.

The 49ers finished 2017 hot, and in order to keep up that same success in 2018, they’ll need to add playmakers on defense. Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick is just that. A playmaker. Fitzpatrick is a great athlete with one of the highest football IQ’s I can remember evaluating and is one of the most versatile players in this draft class. If Minkah is still on the board at #9, I don’t see John Lynch passing him up.

10. Oakland Raiders – Tremaine Edmunds – LB – Virginia Tech

The Raiders need a lot of help on the defensive side of the ball, but linebacker may be the most pressing need. Luckily for the team, they get good value here at 10th overall with former Virginia Tech LB, Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds looks as if he was built in a lab and is only 19 years old, so he will continue to develop. Edmunds offers a ton, whether it’s his cover ability, the ability to play the run, or get after the quarterback, Tremaine Edmunds will be an effective player at the next level.

11. Miami Dolphins – Denzel Ward – CB – Ohio State

The Miami Dolphins have a ton off needs on both offense and defense, but landing the CB1 and one of the best players of the draft at #11 overall would be a huge steal for Miami. Denzel Ward is undersized, but plays much bigger than his height/weight shows. Ward is a great athlete that shows off his ball skills and coverage ability on all shapes and sizes of receivers. In my opinion, Denzel Ward is one of the safest players in this draft class.

The Bronco’s signed Case Keenum to a two-year deal, but I don’t see them passing up Josh Rosen if he does fall all the way to them at #12 after the trade back. Josh Rosen is the most pro-ready quarterback out of this bunch and has a high ceiling as well. If not for the durability and character concerns that some front offices have, Josh Rosen would be in play for the #1 overall pick.

After taking Jonathan Allen last year in the first round, the Redskins come right back and add some more beef to their defensive line with Washington’s Vita Vea. Vita Vea is an extremely strong, disruptive interior defensive lineman who can play more than just the nose tackle. Vea moves extremely well for 330+ pounds and while he is a great run defender, don’t sleep on Vita Vea as disruptive pass rusher either. With the addition of Vita Vea, the Redskins would now have two of the best, young interior defensive lineman in the league.

The Packers desperately need pass rush help, and Harold Landry is just the man for the job. In 2016, Harold Landry was pretty much impossible to block rushing from the right side at Boston College, after a down year in 2017 due to injuries, Landry is looking to get back to his dominant 2016 form. Harold Landry would be a perfect addition as the Packers start to rebuild their defense.

Even with Sam Bradford signed to a one year deal, QB is still one of the biggest needs for the Arizona Cardinals. Lamar Jackson would be a great pick here for Arizona. If you’re hearing that Lamar Jackson isn’t a good enough passer to have success in the NFL I would tell you to start listening to different people. Lamar Jackson is one of the best quarterbacks in this draft class because of what he can do with his arm, what he can do with his legs is just an added bonus.

Even after adding Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead, I think Wide Receiver is still a top priority for the Baltimore Ravens. Calvin Ridley would be a great addition to the Ravens’ receiver core who lacks a nuanced route runner with the ability to separate in all three levels of the field. Ridley is as sure-handed as any receiver in this class and is being severely underrated due to people putting way to much weight on his athletic testing at the Combine.

The Chargers could go in multiple directions here, they need OL help, the could use a interior defensive lineman, and they also really love Leighton Vander Esch. In this scenario they elect to draft the Notre Dame OT Mike McGinchey. McGlinchey can play either left or right tackle and is an extremely polished run blocker. With the addition of McGlinchey, the Chargers would have one of the more talented and young offensive lines in football.

The Seahawks are finally able to add some real talent to the offensive line to protect Russell Wilson. Isaiah Wynn is a versatile, athletic, strong offensive lineman that played most of his college career at LT. Wynn decided to make the move to LG this offseason and showed no issues at all playing the position at the Senior Bowl. Wynn versatility and the way he plays the game should make this a no-brainer for John Schneider.

The Dallas Cowboys desperately need linebacker help after Anthony Hitchens signed with Kansas City this offseason and the uncertainty surrounding Jaylon Smith and Sean Lee’s health linebacker is a pressing need for this team. Leighton Vander Esch is a extremely raw talent, that has elite athletic traits and great size. Vander Esch has to improve on his play strength and instincts if he wants to have success at the next level. But for the Cowboys’ the athletic traits and measurable’s are enough for them to fall in love with the Boise State linebacker.

20. Detroit Lions – Marcus Davenport – EDGE – UTSA

The Detroit Lions have been looking for a compliment pass rusher to Ziggy Ansah for some time. Marcus Davenport may not be that dominant force right away, but his potential is through the roof. Davenport has elite measurable’s as well as a excellent athletic profile to match. Davenport needs to develop a plan when rushing the passer, and figure out how to use his length.

The Bengals desperately need help up and down the offensive line. With the addition of Will Hernandez, they now have one of the nastiest guards in the league. Hernandez is a dominant run defender and moves extremely well for a 340lb man. Hernandez does a great job of getting to the second level and as a pulling guard. This selection would give Andy Dalton and Joe Mixon a nice start to a hopeful offensive line rebuild.

Defensive tackle isn’t necessarily the Bronco’s biggest need, but I find it hard to believe that they would pass up a player of Da’Ron Payne’s caliber at #22 overall. Payne is a versatile interior defensive tackle who has showed signs of being one of the most disruptive defensive tackles in college football.

The Patriots are in desperate need of offensive tackle help. Kolton Miller, in my opinion, is a fourth-round player on tape, but they really love him. Miller is an elite athlete with great size, so there are traits to love when evaluating Kolton Miller. In order for him to be successful as a tackle at the next level, Miller will need to clean up his footwork and hand technique. The former UCLA OT has a long way to go technique-wise, but the athletic traits and measurable’s are off the charts.

The Carolina Panthers are lacking a true WR1 in order to have success in a crowded NFC South. D.J. Moore would be an excellent addition to pair with Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey, and Devin Funchess. D.J. Moore can play the “X” or the “Z” and can make plays in all three depths of the field. Moore is most dangerous after the catch and would be a huge weapon to add to a team that’s not far off from being a Super Bowl contender.

The Titans continue to add talent on the defensive side of the ball with one of the best linebackers in this draft class. Rashaan Evans is one of my favorite players in this draft due to all the different things he can do. Evans is reliable against the run, is underrated in coverage, and can rush the passer as good as a lot of these rushers in this class. Evans would be a plug-and-play linebacker for the Titans and would really give them a huge upgrade at MIKE linebacker.

With the departure of Donatri Poe, the Atlanta Falcons will be looking to add talent to the interior of their defensive line. Taven Bryan plays the under-tackle, but with this addition, Grady Jarrett could move over and play the nose, and Taven Bryan could slide in and start at the under tackle. Bryan is an upfield rusher that makes his money wreaking havoc in the backfield. Bryan may not have great stats at Florida, but there are enough positive traits on tape to see why he’ll be selected on Thursday night.

27. New Orleans Saints – Jaire Alexander – CB – Louisville

With the addition on Jaire Alexander, the Saints would have one of the most talented, but young secondaries in the NFL. Pairing Jaire Alexander up with Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams, Patrick Robinson, and Ken Crawley would easily make them one of the scariest in the league. Jaire Alexander is an extraordinary athlete with great cover skills, and great ball skills, Jaire Alexander is my CB1 and the Saints would be thrilled to land him at the back of round one.

I’m sure most Steelers fans hate this pick with Le’Veon Bell still on the roster, but I don’t think Bell is in Pittsburgh’s long-term plans. Derrius Guice would be an excellent guy to take over for Bell if he is to leave next season. With how the Steelers use Bell as a receiver, Derrius Guice will still see the field a ton in his rookie year.. In most years, Guice is easily the RB1, but with Barkley wearing that crown, Guice will unfortunately fall down the draft board.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars – James Daniels – OG/C – Iowa

The Jaguars could use some interior offensive line talent, why not add the best center prospect in this class who also has a background playing guard and tackle? James Daniels is technician with his hands and has great athletic ability and strength to be a dominant interior offensive lineman in the NFL. Daniels could play guard or center in Jacksonville and would be an instant upgrade over any of the interior lineman currently projected to start in Jacksonville.

30. Minnesota Vikings – Frank Ragnow – OG/C – Arkansas

In the last week or so, Frank Ragnow has worked his way into the round one conversation. Frank Ragnow is familiar with Minnesota Vikings and the Minnesota Vikings are familiar with him. Ragnow has guard/center flexibility and is known for being an excellent run blocker. Ragnow never allowed a sack at Arkansas and will look to carry that same success over to the NFL.

The New England secondary had a rather rocky run last year and lost their best cornerback in Malcolm Butler via free agency. Colorado’s Isaiah Oliver would be an excellent addition to the New England secondary to fill Malcolm Butler’s shoes. Isaiah Oliver is a big corner who can play in press or zone coverage. Oliver has great ball skills and like getting involved in the run game as well. His attitude and style of play fits perfectly with what Bill Belichick looks for in his cornerbacks.

After losing Trey Burton in free agency the Super Bowl Champions will look to fill his sport, while also hoping to upgrade. Mike Gesicki is an athletic freak of nature with insane athletic traits and measurable’s. Gesicki is a dominant red zone target and is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. This may be a little bit of a reach for the Eagles, but without a second or third round pick, they may jump at taking Gesicki with the last pick on Thursday night.